Ace Hardware president and CEO Ray Griffith announced his plans to retire from the hardware cooperative on March 31, 2013, and the company’s board of directors has named Ace’s chief operating officer John Venhuizen his successor.

Effective Sept. 1, 2012, Venhuizen assumed the role of president, while retaining his existing chief operating officer duties of Ace Hardware Corp. Griffith will maintain his role as CEO until his retirement.

The mixing of paint and primer together, in the same can, has swept through the coatings industry like no other innovation. Almost every manufacturer and retailer has added a version of this product to its assortment, although some have done so reluctantly. Within the paint industry, many dismiss paint-and-primer combos as a marketing ploy that raises the price of a gallon of paint. Others say it can save time and money and has a rightful place as a consumer option.

Housing economists, reading the tea leaves of recent building permits and home sales, are not yet ready to say, “It’s over.” But certain states are definitely showing a pick-up in business at both the builder and LBM supplier level. They say one of these states, surprisingly, is Florida.

It’s been more than two weeks since Al Stewart, an ABC Supply employee in Doraville, Ga., saw a puppy tossed out of a moving car in front of his workplace. The Daschund-Chihuahua mix was approximately nine weeks old, and before Stewart could get to it, the puppy was hit by a car.

“It happened right as Al was pulling into the parking lot,” reassistant store manager Trey Couch told Home Channel News. “The dog just went flying out of the [vehicle’s] door.”

When it comes to designing and communicating employee benefit programs, employee input and involvement can be a boon. After all, one of the best ways to gain buy-in for and to communicate employee benefit programs is to use peer-to-peer interaction. If a group of employees supports these programs and makes it a point to tell other employees, organizations can build buy-in for programs and changes more readily.

Dan Starr and Doug Roth will be promoted into Do it Best's upper management June 1, when longtime executives Dave Haist and Dave Dietz plan to retire.

“Any transition like this is a mix of emotions and sentiment,” said Bob Taylor, president and CEO. “While we are saddened to see a couple of key, longtime contributors like Dave Haist and Dave Dietz retire, we are equally excited to have two very talented individuals in Dan Starr and Doug Roth stepping up to fill those positions.”

Boise, Idaho-based Boise Cascade Holdings has posted a $3.7 million net loss for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a net loss of $5.6 million in the year-ago period. Sales for the quarter totaled $627.98 million, up 5.8% from $593.50 million in the third quarter of 2010.

Chicago — Mixed macroeconomic signals lurked behind many of the charts displayed at the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI’s) Industry Summit last month. But presenter J. Walker Smith stressed that the fault lies in ourselves, not the economy. He pointed to several companies outside the home improvement industry that have shown amazing growth — Apple, Hyundai and Zappos, for instance. “These companies have shown unprecedented success during the third-worst downturn in U.S.

Chicago -- Decking vendors of all persuasions shared McCormick Place with suppliers of other remodeling materials as the Deck Expo and the Remodeling Show joined their events this year. Exterior siding and PVC/composite decking seemed to dominate the floor, although a large wood pavilion showcased cedar, redwood and pressure-treated lumber.

Ken White arrived at Handy Hardware in May with a clear-cut mandate and straightforward goals. Specifically, get Handy’s information technology program back on track, and put the company on path for growth.

Scott Rhodes knew that for his innovative “dumpster in a bag” product — the Bagster — to make an impact in the home channel, it was imperative to forge relationships with major dealers.

“We knew we needed a national footprint to expand our retail distribution with Home Depot and Lowe’s,” said Rhodes, co-founder of the product and now a director at Waste Management Inc., the parent company. Bagster is Waste Management’s first retail product.

Back in 1961, a group of 13 enterprising hardware retailers pooled together a cool $13,000 to open a warehouse in Houston.

Their goal was to join together in the collective support of the independent hardware store operator. It’s a concept that continues today at Houston-based Handy Hardware Wholesale, which will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary at its Fall Market later this month in San Antonio.

As Handy Hardware celebrates its 50th anniversary, one of its Texas hardware and lumberyard dealers is preparing for its 100th.

Seven-location Woodson Lumber, based in Brenham, Texas, operates in the small towns in the economically diverse Dallas, Houston, San Antonio Triangle. The chain was founded by HP Woodson in 1913, and today is run by his granddaughter Ann Chapman.

GreenFiber natural fiber blown-in insulation was installed as part of Cherokee Studios, a project recently named as a Top 10 Green Build Project for 2011 by The American Institute of Architect’s (AIA’s) Committee on the Environment (COTE).

Pet supplies are one of the many non-traditional categories found at Bering’s Hardware in Houston. “People love their animals, and they take good care of them,” Augie Bering Jr. said. “You may not come to Bering’s for pet supplies, but when you walk by our department, you may think, ‘You know, I should pick up something for my dog while I’m here.’”

This is not the only retailer reaching out in ways a traditional hardware store might not.

Motor oil in Lowe’s. Paper towels in Home Depot. Groceries in Menards.

Chicago — Ace Hardware Corp. had some positive news to tell its members during the co-op’s Spring Convention general session. Sales were on the increase — particularly fourth-quarter sales. POS data was beginning to help retailers benchmark their performance, and a new Craftsman program was expanding that brand to smaller-format stores.

But then there was that other thing — the company’s supply chain transition.

With the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show only weeks away — it runs from April 26 to 28 in Las Vegas — the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) just released the results of its annual members’ poll about upcoming design trends. The Hackettstown, N.J.-based trade group asked 100 of its designers what they’ve been installing in their clients’ kitchens and bathrooms, and then distilled the results into 11 trends.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Bonsal American named Meredith Ware as the company's director of sustainability. Ware, a LEED Accredited Professional, will lead the company’s sustainability initiatives and report to President David Maske.

The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has recommended that Sherwin-Williams modify or discontinue advertising claims that its Harmony paint line is completely free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The NAD, which is the advertising industry’s self-regulatory forum, reviewed claims made by Sherwin-Williams in Web and print advertising following a challenge by Benjamin Moore & Co.

Behr Paint and Home Depot will attempt to reach further into the pro market with the launch of the Kilz Pro-X line made by MasterChem Industries. Both Behr and Kilz are part of Masco Corp. The announcement was made at the International Builders’ Show on Jan. 12.

Initially the Kilz Pro-X line will offer 1,300 colors. Designed as part of Behr’s “Direct to Pros” program, the company hopes to begin with a February rollout and finish in May or June of 2011, when all 2,000 Home Depots will have the program.